Life can change in a moment. Some changes are planned while others aren’t. One change that can impact many seniors is the need to downsize during their golden years. This can be due to a desire to reduce expenses or lessen responsibilities around the home. It can also be brought on by a need for long-term care. 

Whatever your reasons for downsizing, you deserve to have as smooth and stress-free of a move as possible, and the resources and information below can help. 

Selling or Buying a Home: What to Expect 

You may need to sell your home to help with care costs, or simply to make a smaller home more affordable. Whether you need to buy or sell, having the right resources can certainly help. 

  • Researching your local real estate market is a good place to start when selling or buying. 
  • Then you should reach out to an experienced agency like 365 Realty Deals
  • Selling your home isn’t the only option if you are downsizing to move to assisted living.
  • If buying new isn’t in the cards, and if you’re still planning to age in place, renting a condo or an apartment can be an affordable option. 

Preparing and Planning for a Downsizing Move 

If you’ve decided where to move, you can begin making plans for your move. Downsizing and moving don’t have to be overwhelming with the right planning and, of course, professionals. 

  • Planning on hiring movers? Be sure to research moving companies ahead of time. 
  • If you’re still on the fence, compare the pros and cons of hiring movers.
  • Movers can help you pack, but there are also guides online that can make this easier. 

Decluttering Before Downsizing and Emotions 

Before you can begin packing, you may also need to declutter your household goods. While this may seem like a simple moving task, it can be an emotional one.

  • Give yourself plenty of time to declutter so you can take things one room at a time
  • Know that there are ways to preserve memories without holding onto your clutter. 
  • For example, you can have old photos transferred to digital files to clear out space. 
  • You can also donate used goods and know that your decluttering is helping others. 

No matter why you’re downsizing, having this guide can help save you time, stress and even money when it comes to your move. That way you can focus on managing the rest of your transition and enjoying more of your golden years. If you are downsizing but aren’t excited about doing so, also try to focus on the positive and on how this move will improve your quality of life.